Canticle of the Sun
by Jeri Strauss
Summary: [AU] Destroyed by war, Weyward now exists in five dimensions: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter. Hundreds of years later, an inter-dimensional war breaks out and only one can reunite the warring tribes.


**Shadow: **OK, it's time to get down to business. I began this under my former alias, Wild. But it was stupid and crappy and I was uber-depressed after I broke up with the bf so…

**Shadow and Spark**: REWRITE!

**Shadow**: Anyways, this is a Golden Sun AU fic. Same rules that always apply to a fic by moi: Mud, flame, and lighthouseshipping (I think that's what FxS is…). Anyways, please keep your arms, legs, and other appendages inside the ride at all times.

**Spark**: And please let us know what you think!

* * *

**Chapter One: Like Manna From Heaven**

The heat of the flames was almost too unbearable. Tongues of orange flames leapt up around stone buildings, eating through wood and stone. The orange glow from the inferno lit up the night sky and drowned out the stars so that only the largest and brightest appeared as mere pin-pricks on the velvety curtain of the sky.

But there was something strange about this scene: there was no sign of life. Only charred skeletons of buildings left as a bitter reminder of the once prosperous life. In the midst of the fire, was the observer: a young girl of about fourteen. She was not very tall and was dressed in a black school uniform. This contrasted with her fair skin, blonde hair, and lavender eyes.

"This is…so strange and familiar…" she said as she watched a wooden pillar crumble beneath the flame's might. She wrapped her arms around herself as she wandered through the desolate streets. It struck her as a bit peculiar: none of the flames would touch her. A burning beam or occasional sparks would leap towards her, but it always seemed like a gust of wind would blow them away.

Suddenly, the earth beneath her feet began to shake, causing the girl to loose her balance and fall. She watched fearfully as the ground surrounding the burning city began to split. Another shake and the city parted itself from the earth. She could hardly believe her eyes; the city was floating!

She carefully crawled over to the side where the ground took a sheer drop. She gripped the rocky soil as she peered down. A sense of vertigo made her stomach lurch as she watched the ground retreat. With a scream of terror, she leapt back. Around her, the clouds were parting as the city rose to the heavens.

"What's happening?" she cried. "Why am I here!" She clutched her head in frustration as the floating city slowed its pace. Eventually, she felt it stop as it was bathed in the silvery moonlight. She looked up at the full moon. It was so clear and seemed so close that she wanted to reach out and touch it. She found her hand obeying and reaching out.

Then, she woke.

"Sheba!" Her eyes flew open to find the view of the back of her classmate's head. What happened? Had she fallen asleep? Still slumped over, she inspected her surroundings to find that she was in Mr. Nakamura's astronomy class. Scientific notation and many complex equations were scribbled all over the board in white chalk.

"Miss Kimura," the teacher's said sternly as he walked over to Sheba's desk. She turned her head to find her teacher standing over her desk. "Sleeping in class?"

"I'm very sorry Mr. Nakamura!" she gasped as she sat up rigidly. "It won't happen again!" The bell buzzed, signaling the end of the class, and the school day. The room was filled with laughter and talking as the students gathered there things and rushed out the door.

"See to it that it won't," he snorted as he walked back to his desk. Sheba glanced back nervously to her friend seated behind her and gave a weak smile.

"You sure made Mr. Nakamura mad today!" her friend laughed once they were walking home along the sidewalk. "You didn't miss anything. He was just going on and on about some equation," she laughed.

"I took astronomy only so I could learn about the universe, not so I could take another math class," Sheba replied. Her friend attempted to go over the equations Mr. Nakamura had covered that day in class. But as Sheba listened, it seemed as if she was only explaining them to herself; thinking aloud. Sheba's mind wandered elsewhere, back to the burning city that floated in the sky. "Fehzhi?"

"Hm?" she asked mid-sentence.

"If I tell you this, will you promise not to laugh at me?" Sheba pleaded.

"Why would I laugh? You're my best friend; you can tell me anything," she nodded reassuringly.

"Lately, I've been having these weird dreams. When I wake up, I feel like I'm having a bad case of de ja vouz. Like I've been to the places in my dreams before," she explained as she stared down at her polished black shoes.

"I have those kind of dreams all the time. One time I dreamt about being in PE class the day before and doing the same stuff. Dreams are just your brain's way of," she paused to think of a good word. "It's like your brain hits rewind or something."

"It's not that. I've never been to these places before," she continued. "And then there's this other thing."

"What?" Feizhi begged. Sheba paused as she reached the front gate of her house.

"I'll tell you later. See you tomorrow," she smiled as she pulled the iron gates open and slipped inside. She ran up the walkway and inserted a bronze key into the keyhole on the front door. Once she turned the key, she threw the door open and dashed inside.

"Sheba? Is that you dear?" a woman's voice asked cheerily.

"Yes mother, I'm home," she replied as she shut and locked the door behind her. A middle-aged woman burst into the front hall and wrapped Sheba in a tight hug. Sheba's mother pulled away and stood before her as calmly as possible.

"OK, what am I thinking?" she asked excitedly as she looked straight at Sheba.

"Mother," she groaned. The same thing her mother asked her every day when she arrived home from school.

"Come on, tell me," she insisted. With a sigh, Sheba approached her mother and held up her hands before the woman and shut her eyes. A strange feeling crept over Sheba as she began to concentrate on the woman's thoughts. After a few moments, her eyelids fluttered open and she blinked at her mother.

"You were thinking about what was for dinner," she responded as she lowered her hands. "Lobster."

"Ooo! You're getting _so_ good at this!" her mother laughed as she clapped her hands together.

"Is father home yet?" Sheba asked as she followed her mother into the kitchen where a cook was preparing dinner.

"No, he's still at his business meeting," she replied. "You know how he is as the president of that huge stock company."

"Yea," Sheba replied monotonously as she sat down at the table and dropped her backpack.

"What's wrong dear, you seem troubled," her mother inquired as she sat down across from the girl.

"Tomorrow," Sheba began as stared into space. "Tomorrow is the anniversary of when you found me. I just realized that a few moments ago."

"You still think about that, don't you?" her mother sighed.

"What happened again, exactly?" Sheba asked as she focused on her mother.

"Well," she began. "Your father and I were driving home along a desolate road about ten years ago at nighttime. There was a brilliant flash in the sky, and your father stopped the car. We got out and watched as you descended from the light in the sky. I held out my arms and you simply floated down into them. That was when I noticed that strange green gem you wore around your neck."

"And I don't have any memory of anything before that night, except for my name," Sheba murmured.

"But you are so fortunate that your father and I found you," her mother smiled sweetly. "I was so worried that I would never have a child, and then you fell from the sky, like manna from heaven." Sheba looked up and smiled back at her mother, and for a few moments, everything felt better again.

The sudden ringing of the phone caused both of them to jump. "I'll get it," Sheba offered as she rose from her chair. "Hello, Kimura residence," she greeted.

"Is this Kimura's daughter?" a man's voice said over the telephone.

"Yes," she replied hesitantly. "May I ask who's calling?"

"Your father has just been arrested for passing off counterfeit checks. Would you like to make a statement?" the voice replied.

"What? What are you talking about?" she shrieked.

"You father's been arrested for passing off counterfeit cash and checks. Care to make a statement?" they repeated. Sheba slammed down the phone in a fit of confusion and anger.

"Who was it dear?" her mother asked nervously. A feeling of tension hung in the air as the phone rang again. Sheba picked it up and hung up again, pressing both hands into the receiver and holding it down, in hopes that it would prevent more people from calling. The doorbell began to ring and loud knocks were heard from outside.

"Don't answer it!" Sheba yelled.

* * *

"This must be one of the most tragic and notorious incidents to ever have occurred," a news reporter said on the television screen. She was dressed in a red blazer, with her brown hair styled in a neat pageboy. There was an air of calmness about her, regardless of the story she was reporting.

"Yes, Mr. Kimura, the president and founder of one of our country's most prominent stock companies, was caught filing counterfeit cash and checks this afternoon. When further questioned, he claimed that he was been passing this money off for the past eighteen months as a way to cover and to prevent filing bankruptcy," another seated beside her continued. "It has just been revealed that he is over ten million dollars in debt."

"This is terrible," Sheba moaned as she stared at the television screen. Her mother sat on the couch beside her, sobbing her eyes out. "Mother," she began.

"Go to your room!" she screamed as she buried her face in her hands. The change in her mother's nature frightened Sheba, and she meekly did as she was told.

"This day has just been totally weird," she sighed as she flopped down onto her bed. She rolled over and stared out the window and down into the streets. "Looks like those reporters don't know when to give up." The flashing from her telephone caught her attention and she crawled over to the nightstand to check her voice messages. Most of them were old and from her friends. It suddenly began to ring in her hands, causing her to jump.

"He-Hello?" she answered as she held the cordless phone to her ear.

"Is this Sheba?" a deep voice replied.

"Yes, may I ask who is calling?" she asked, her voice becoming serious.

"We are coming for you tonight," the voice continued.

"Who are you?" she asked again.

"Are you alone?"

"Answer my questions!" she insisted. The line was silent for a few moments before the dial tone resumed. Sheba's hand trembled as she hit the 'off' button on the phone.

* * *

The last street lamp flickered on, bathing the street in an orange glow. It was a balmy, early summer evening. The sun had just barely set and the horizon was streaked with red. An orchestration of crickets filled the air, a reminder that nature was still prevalent among the concrete.

The sound of shuffling feet rose through the air. "Wait, I think I can sense them," a girl's voice said. "It's a bit weak, but I can sense them alright! They've definitely made their move."

"Are they together?" a deeper voice asked, definitely a male's. The two stepped into the light. A young man of eighteen stood tall beside his sister, a girl of seventeen. He looked down at her with dark brown eyes. She looked deep in concentration as she tightly gripped her staff.

"No, they're separated. One of them is nearby; it's definitely Agatio," she replied as she looked back up at him.

"I'm sure they're after Sheba as well. If it comes down to a fight, be ready to run, Jenna," he said as he placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. There was a rustling in the bushes near Jenna. She spun around, her long auburn ponytail flying behind her. She leapt back as the shrubbery burst into flame. The hulking form of Agatio stepped forward.

"Get back Jenna!" her brother ordered.

"Well, if it isn't Felix and his darling sister Jenna," Agatio sneered as he tossed his weather-beaten cape behind him.

"Jenna, find Sheba!" Felix said as he removed his sword from its sheath.

"You won't escape this time!" Agatio cried as he raised his fists. "Charon!" The sky above him turned black as the form of a cloaked man appeared from the darkness. He outstretched his arms and shot a dark mass of energy in Jenna's direction.

Jenna raised her staff and shot a burst of flame towards the dark mass, causing it to dissipate. "Is that…Charon?" Jenna stammered. "What have you done Agatio?"

"It's not what _I _have done, but more of what my master has done," he grinned.

"But I thought the sanctum couldn't be opened," Felix began.

"You are right in some aspects. The inner chambers cannot be opened without a full-blooded survivor of the Anemos. And of course what we really want lies within these chambers. Thusly why we came to this dimension to find that girl," Agatio explained. "As we speak, Karst has probably already found her and is in her possession."

Felix stepped forward, his sword glistening in the lamplight. "Jenna, find Sheba and stop Karst. I can take care of Agatio."

"But Felix…" Jenna began.

"Hurry!" Felix drew his sword back and charged at Agatio. He brought the blade down into Agatio's shoulder, leaving a long red gash in his pale blue skin. His right arm was useless.

"Why you!" he cried in rage as he drew his left fist back for a punch. Felix expected this and leapt aside. The now confused Agatio stumbled as he attempted to regain his balance. Before he could ready himself for another attack, Felix struck him on the back of the head with the hilt of his sword. Agatio fell to the ground unconscious. The race was on.

* * *

It turned out lobster wasn't for dinner after all. Sheba remained cooped up in her room, doing homework on an empty stomach. It was almost midnight when Feizhi called. "I'm really sorry about your dad," she said over the phone. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Not unless it has to do with getting rid of hundreds of reporters," she laughed as she shut her math textbook. "So, enough about me, how have things been over at your place?"

"Boring. My parents have been glued to the television ever since the news came on. They're in bed watching it, hoping for 'late breaking developments' or something like that," she sighed. Sheba laughed as she slid the book off to the side of her desk as she listened to Feizhi.

"Well I for one certainly don't appreciate all this publicity. I just want things to go back to being simple, if they ever really were simple," she continued as she swiveled around in her computer chair.

"What do you mean? You had a perfect life, one that I would have killed for!" Feizhi said. "You had two parents who loved each other and were, at one point, filthy rich. You live in a nice neighborhood, have perfect grades, and have almost every boy in school madly in love with you. Trust me Sheba, they were simple and perfect."

"But what you don't understand is that all of this just feels so phony to me," she sighed. "My parents didn't adopt me, they _found_ me. I have no idea who my real parents are or where I came from. I don't even know what nationality I am! My whole life is a mystery to me. Please tell me what's normal about that. Please tell me that the answers to the questions I'm asking can be found!"

"They can," a tiny voice squeaked behind her. She quickly spun around to find a mysterious small purple creature perched on her desk. It was the strangest thing Sheba had ever seen before. Its ears were large and resembled a pair of white, feathery wings. The creature's eyes didn't seem real: they resembled two perfectly polished turquoise stones that had been glued onto the creature's face. Only when he blinked was she reminded that they were real.

"What are you and how did you get in here?" she shrieked .

"Sheba?" Feizhi asked. Sheba ignored the phone.

"My name is Ether and I am a Djinni," he replied as the creature nodded towards her.

"What?" Sheba gasped as she scooted back a ways.

"Don't worry, we're only here to take you home. Felix is coming, you have nothing to fear," he smiled.

"Sheba, who is that you're talking to?" Feizhi asked again. Sheba again ignored the phone and only concentrated on Ether.

"I suppose you still don't feel completely reassured," he sighed. "Then maybe I should start at the very beginning. Sheba, you are a very important young girl. You are the key to finding the lost city of Anemos and most importantly, unlocking the sanctum."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not surprised that you have no memory of your past. You were only five when you fell down into Gaia Rift," he continued as he folded his small wings. "Nevertheless, we are going to take you back to Weyward."

"This Felix person, was he the man who called me on the telephone this afternoon?"

"You were contacted? By whom?" Ether stammered.

"It was a man and he told me that he was coming for me tonight," Sheba explained.

"Oh dear," Ether said as he quivered. "This is not good…not good at all. I may be over-reacting and jumping to conclusions, but…perhaps _he_ has discovered your existence."

"Who is this 'he' person?" The lights began to flicker on and off.

"Oh no! They're here! Call for help!" Ether yelled as he hopped up and down on the desk.

"Feizhi!" Sheba yelled into the phone. "Call the police!"

"Sheba, what's going-" the line went dead.

"Feizhi? Are you there?" she pleaded into the phone. "The line's dead."

"This can only be the work of Agatio and Karst!" Ether exclaimed. He hopped onto Sheba's shoulder where he resumed his cowering. "We must find Felix!"

Before Sheba had time to escape, there was an explosion, which brought her bedroom wall crumbling to the ground. A tall woman with reddish skin appeared out of the dust. She tossed her long auburn hair back with a black gloved hand. In her other hand was a large black scythe.

"So you must be Sheba," the woman grinned as she eyed Sheba.

"Who are you?" she stammered as she stepped back towards the door. "What do you…creatures…want with me?"

"How rude! I am not a mere creature! My name is Karst and I hail from the town of Prox in the frozen north. And it's not what I want with you, but what my master wants," she laughed. "Now come along." Sheba grabbed the doorknob and dashed down the hall and flew down the stairs. She could hear the sounds of the woman storming down the halls after her and could feel Ether quivering on her shoulder.

"We're almost out," she panted to reassure Ether as she grabbed the handle of the front door and swung it open. She paused in her tracks as she noticed a tall man standing in the front gate. His long brown hair was pulled back in a low ponytail which rested on his shoulders. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword which was sheathed at his belt.

"Sheba, I am glad that Ether has guided you to safety. Let us go before Agatio and Karst appear," he stated as he stepped towards them.

"Felix!" a shrill voice called out from behind him. He turned his head to see a young girl, a little older than Sheba, run up to his side. Her long reddish hair was pulled back in a high ponytail which matched with the color of her dress. "I used the Sleep Bomb on the people in the streets like you told me to," she panted as she leaned on her staff.

"Good, now let's get out of here. Do you still have it?" he asked. She nodded and pulled out a small blue stone. "Ether, did you recover the Hover Jade?"

"Yep!" he replied as he reached down to Sheba's pocked and produced the smooth green stone.

"Hey! That's mine!" Sheba gasped as she reached for the stone. She always kept the stone with her wherever she went; it was her lucky charm.

"Don't worry, it will be returned to you," Felix said reassuringly. "Now let us not waste any more time. Come…"

"Hold it right there!" a gruff voice shouted. They turned to see a burly man standing in the yard beside the woman who had attacked Sheba earlier. "Sheba isn't going anywhere with the likes of you!"

"I thought you had taken care of him!" Jenna whispered as she tugged on Felix's sleeve.

"Protect Sheba," he replied as he drew his sword. "Take Sheba and get her out of here." Jenna nodded and ran towards Sheba.

"Sorry," the man cackled as he raised his hand into the air. "But I'm not going to let you get away again. Rising Dragon!" Flames encircled Sheba as they lifted her into the air.

"Sheba!" Jenna screamed as she thrust her arm into the air after her. Sheba's hand reached down towards her, but the flames were pulling her up too fast. She reached towards her shoulder and felt her hand rest on Ether's head.

"I will remain by your side," Ether nodded. Sheba felt an arm wrap around her. Karst was now beside her as the flames continued to rise toward the stars. Karst pulled a small black stone from within her cloak, identical to the one Jenna held. Her gloved fingers clutched the stone tightly.

"Teleport!" she cried as they vaporized into the air.

"Sorry we couldn't stay and chat," Agatio grinned as he gripped another stone. He disappeared after Karst, leaving Felix and Jenna alone in the driveway.

* * *

**Shadow**: So how was it? I know, it was a lot like the first book in _Planet Ladder_, the manga series. It's where I drew some of my inspiration from. Leave me a review and tell me what you think.

**Spark**: And if you seem a little confused, don't worry, everything will fit together. We know what we're doing this time. Change is GOOD.


End file.
